Purifying tantalum.



EEECHIEL WEINTRAUE, 0E SGHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSTGNOE. T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

runrrt'rns TANTALUM.

ti t? Edd.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that T, EznorrneL 'VVEINTRAUB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Purifying Tantalum, of which the following 1s a specitication.

My present invention comprises a process for purifying tantalum by electrolysis. The process consists in the electrolysis of a molten salt, and more specifically, of the double salt,potassium tantalum fluorid-between an anode consisting of impure tantalum, and a cathode consisting of pure tantalum, or of other conductive and inert material.

Art the anode, the fluorid dissolves the tantalum while the impurities such as carbon, tantalum oxid, and similar substances fall to the bottom of the vessel. At the cathode the tantalum separates out as a coherent coating of pure metal, being the product of the reaction between the potassium, which separates primarily, and the double fluorid. The composition of the electrolyte does notmaterially change, and the process can be continued indefinitely.

A vessel suitable for holding the fused salt may consist of 1 agnesium oxid or other refractory 'materh l, or even of tantalum oxid itself.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ll atentetll ll eh. t. lltltlltl.

Application filed. October 3, 1906. Serial No. 337.159.

The roduct obtainable by the above process 1s ound to be relatively pure, and can be used for the production of refractory heaters and glowers of furnaces and other -a cathode, to deposit purified tantalum on said cathode. r

3. The method of purifying tantalum, which consists in electrolyzing potassiumtantalum fluori-d between an impure tantalum anode and a cathode, to deposit on said cathode pure tantalum derived from said anode.

In witness whereof. T have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of September. 1906.

EZECHIEL WETNTRAUB.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFOIRD. 

